Basic Guidelines pyc4805.docx - Basic Guidelines: Childhood...

Basic Guidelines: Childhood and
Adolescence
Pyc4805
· CHILD AND
ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
Basic guidelines
The syllabus is based on the information in your prescribed book:
Belsky, J. (2018). Experiencing Childhood and Adolescence . New York: Worth
Publishers.
Start as soon as possible after you have received this tutorial letter to attend to the
study topics. Do not wait to start working on your preparation.
Read all relevant information on the topic in your prescribed book. Use our
guidelines provided for each topic and the subject and author indexes in the
prescribed book.
Select only relevant information. Make sure that you do not deviate from the topic by
means of general (popular) knowledge. Base your discussion of the topic on the
information in your prescribed book.
Use an effective study technique (e.g. summaries, diagrams or mind maps) to
memorise the information relevant for each topic. Use a study technique that you are
comfortable with and make sure that you have selected all the relevant information.
Discussions in essay format are in most cases not a very effective study technique.
Take time to reflect on your discussion of the topics and change them as your
knowledge and insight increase.
Highlight central aspects or important information.
General guidelines for addressing the themes in the syllabus:
· We provide some guidelines for each theme to point you in the
right direction. It is, however, important that you read each chapter
before you discuss a specific theme. You might miss important
background information if you only read the pages in the prescribed book
that we refer to in the guidelines. You will also find the themes easier to

address if you have a broader overview and understanding of the issues
involved.
· The themes are often based on your understanding of various
issues in the prescribed book and it is important that you integrate all
the relevant aspects into your discussions.
· Analyse the theme before you discuss it. Students often loose
valuable marks in the exams because they only discuss part of a question
– and this is often due to carelessness rather than a lack of knowledge.